---
title: 'Cypress.ensure | Cypress Documentation'
description: 'Cypress.ensure is a collection of helper methods for making assertions. They are mostly useful when writing custom queries or custom commands.'
sidebar_label: ensure
sidebar_position: 110
---

<ProductHeading product="app" />

# Cypress.ensure

`Cypress.ensure` is a collection of helper methods for making assertions. They
are mostly useful when writing [custom queries](/api/cypress-api/custom-queries)
or [custom commands](/api/cypress-api/custom-commands).

Most functions on `Cypress.ensure` accept a
[`subject`](/app/core-concepts/introduction-to-cypress#Subject-Management)
argument, check an assertion, and throw an error if the assertion fails. These
functions have no return value.

## Syntax

```javascript
// Type of argument
Cypress.ensure.isType(subject, type, commandName, cy)​
Cypress.ensure.isElement(subject, commandName, cy)​
Cypress.ensure.isWindow(subject, commandName, cy)
Cypress.ensure.isDocument(subject, commandName, cy)​

// State of DOM element
Cypress.ensure.isAttached(subject, commandName, cy)​
Cypress.ensure.isNotDisabled(subject, commandName)​
Cypress.ensure.isNotHiddenByAncestors(subject, commandName)​
Cypress.ensure.isNotReadonly(subject, commandName)​
Cypress.ensure.isScrollable(subject, commandName)​
Cypress.ensure.isStrictlyVisible(subject, commandName)​
Cypress.ensure.isVisible(subject, commandName)​
```

:::caution

Many of these functions accept an optional `onFail` argument. This is a legacy
feature used to customize the thrown error, and may be removed in a future
release; we recommend against relying on it. If you need more control over the
error thrown, write your own `ensure` function instead.

:::

### Usage

<Icon name="check-circle" color="green" /> **Correct Usage**

```javascript
Cypress.Commands.addQuery('getChildById', function (id) {
  return (subject) => {
    // Verify that the subject is an element, document, or window object
    Cypress.ensure.isType(
      subject,
      ['element', 'document', 'window'],
      'getChildById',
      cy
    )

    return $$(`#${id}`, subject)
  }
})

const queryName = 'verifyElementActionable'

Cypress.Commands.addQuery(queryName, function (...args) {
  return (subject) => {
    // Verify that the subject fulfills a variety of conditions
    Cypress.ensure.isElement(subject, queryName, cy)
    Cypress.ensure.isVisible(subject, queryName, cy)
    Cypress.ensure.isNotDisabled(subject, queryName, cy)
    Cypress.ensure.isNotReadonly(subject, queryName, cy)

    return subject
  }
})
```

## See also

- ["Custom Queries"](/api/cypress-api/custom-queries) contains more information
  about writing custom queries, which is the main use-case for the `ensure`
  functions.
